about it, I could pay him later. He didn’t even take a credit card.”
“Yeah, I bet.”
I ignored his sarcastic tone. “He was so nice, I would hate for him to think I had skipped out on him.”
“He’ll get over it. Besides, it’s all taken care of. I told you your expenses would be paid.”
“But when did you have time to do that?”
“I had Meri’s butler go over there and take care of it while you were sleeping.”
“You seem to borrow Meridith’s staff an awful lot,” I pointed out. “Did you ever think of getting some help of your own?”
“No, I don’t like people lurking around here.”
I wondered if what I was doing would be considered “lurking.”
“I do have a housekeeper, though,” he said. “She comes over once a week. I go to Meri’s so I don’t have to be here when she comes. Of course, with youhere we might have to change it to twice a week.”
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” I pretended to be insulted, then noticed he was talking as if he expected me to live here now. Had I agreed to his marriage plan while under the influence of the migraine medication?
“I saw your hotel room,” Drew said with an almost-smile. He laid a throw across my lap. ”Want some hot chocolate?”
“Yes, please.”
A few minutes later, he brought me a mug with a dozen tiny marshmallows floating around on top.
This was the kind of thing I’d seen only on television as a kid. When I was sick, I would imagine someone was taking care of me, but it had never been a reality, until now. From what Meredith had told me, Drew probably had to imagine it, too.
I noticed he had a second cup for himself, so I invited him to take a seat on the sofa next to me, and he did. Then it hit me that I was sitting on the couch next to the notorious Drew Larson, sipping hot chocolate. Who would imagine he kept mini-marshmallows in his pantry?
I picked up the remote and turned on the TV. “I’m in the mood for a good movie,” I said. “Will you watch with me?”
He shrugged. “Sure, why not.”
We watched one movie and started another. I began to get sleepy, so I grabbed a chenille throw pillow and, on impulse, tossed it in his lap and made myself comfortable.
The second my head touched the pillow, I felt his entire body tense.
Although even I didn’t know why I was being so presumptuous, I stubbornly stayed where I was and decided to let him try to adjust.
After a few moments, I felt him move a bit and was certain his hand was hovering over me, possibly unsure as to where to position itself appropriately. I remembered what Meridith had said about Drew rarely touching anyone.
I pulled the thick throw over my shoulder so he wouldn’t have to make contact with the nearly bare skin of my arm through the gauzy robe I was still wearing.
Once I was amply covered, he placed his hand lightly on my arm and I gradually felt him relaxing.
~
I woke up and, again, wondered how long I’d been asleep. It had been a peaceful, happy sleep and I felt wonderful. When I turned my head, I saw Drew looking down at me.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I haven’t been sleeping well lately, and I guess I’ve been catching up today. I hope I wasn’t snoring.”
“Only in the most attractive way.” The sarcasm was still there, yet it was somehow mingled with sincerity. His face held an expression I hadn’t seen on him before, and it was so compelling I turned my whole body around so I was lying on my back and staring up at him.
“There is no such way,” I argued playfully.
“There is now.”
I knew that he rarely maintained facial expressions—other than disdain, indifference, or anger—for long, so my mind scrambled to find a name for this one before it disappeared. As he gazed down at me, I knew the soft look in his eyes could only be described as “tenderness .”
I became aware of his hand, which was resting on my stomach since I’d rolled over. Supposedly, he had an aversion to touching people.
“Yeah, I bet.”
I ignored his sarcastic tone. “He was so nice, I would hate for him to think I had skipped out on him.”
“He’ll get over it. Besides, it’s all taken care of. I told you your expenses would be paid.”
“But when did you have time to do that?”
“I had Meri’s butler go over there and take care of it while you were sleeping.”
“You seem to borrow Meridith’s staff an awful lot,” I pointed out. “Did you ever think of getting some help of your own?”
“No, I don’t like people lurking around here.”
I wondered if what I was doing would be considered “lurking.”
“I do have a housekeeper, though,” he said. “She comes over once a week. I go to Meri’s so I don’t have to be here when she comes. Of course, with youhere we might have to change it to twice a week.”
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” I pretended to be insulted, then noticed he was talking as if he expected me to live here now. Had I agreed to his marriage plan while under the influence of the migraine medication?
“I saw your hotel room,” Drew said with an almost-smile. He laid a throw across my lap. ”Want some hot chocolate?”
“Yes, please.”
A few minutes later, he brought me a mug with a dozen tiny marshmallows floating around on top.
This was the kind of thing I’d seen only on television as a kid. When I was sick, I would imagine someone was taking care of me, but it had never been a reality, until now. From what Meredith had told me, Drew probably had to imagine it, too.
I noticed he had a second cup for himself, so I invited him to take a seat on the sofa next to me, and he did. Then it hit me that I was sitting on the couch next to the notorious Drew Larson, sipping hot chocolate. Who would imagine he kept mini-marshmallows in his pantry?
I picked up the remote and turned on the TV. “I’m in the mood for a good movie,” I said. “Will you watch with me?”
He shrugged. “Sure, why not.”
We watched one movie and started another. I began to get sleepy, so I grabbed a chenille throw pillow and, on impulse, tossed it in his lap and made myself comfortable.
The second my head touched the pillow, I felt his entire body tense.
Although even I didn’t know why I was being so presumptuous, I stubbornly stayed where I was and decided to let him try to adjust.
After a few moments, I felt him move a bit and was certain his hand was hovering over me, possibly unsure as to where to position itself appropriately. I remembered what Meridith had said about Drew rarely touching anyone.
I pulled the thick throw over my shoulder so he wouldn’t have to make contact with the nearly bare skin of my arm through the gauzy robe I was still wearing.
Once I was amply covered, he placed his hand lightly on my arm and I gradually felt him relaxing.
~
I woke up and, again, wondered how long I’d been asleep. It had been a peaceful, happy sleep and I felt wonderful. When I turned my head, I saw Drew looking down at me.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I haven’t been sleeping well lately, and I guess I’ve been catching up today. I hope I wasn’t snoring.”
“Only in the most attractive way.” The sarcasm was still there, yet it was somehow mingled with sincerity. His face held an expression I hadn’t seen on him before, and it was so compelling I turned my whole body around so I was lying on my back and staring up at him.
“There is no such way,” I argued playfully.
“There is now.”
I knew that he rarely maintained facial expressions—other than disdain, indifference, or anger—for long, so my mind scrambled to find a name for this one before it disappeared. As he gazed down at me, I knew the soft look in his eyes could only be described as “tenderness .”
I became aware of his hand, which was resting on my stomach since I’d rolled over. Supposedly, he had an aversion to touching people.
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